In South Africa, service providers within the corporate security market are maintaining steady pace with the development of solutions designed to empower businesses to effectively protect their environments.
Management at ATEC Systems and Technologies (ATEC), a national specialist ICT and software company focused on telecommunications, security and property management systems, say there is a consistent requirement for access control security solutions to be integrated with - and protect - a number of properties, commercial buildings, as well as residences.
Biometric infrastructure is a big driver behind this growth and there are many interesting developments emerging from this technology area, says Riaan Janse van Rensburg, the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of ATEC.
"Some biometric systems use vein readers in addition to fingerprint - it measures the veins in your finger. South Africa is ahead in developing biometrics and access control technology. Tags used to be the most commonly used technology. Biometrics is still expensive and that is why you only see these systems installed at large companies," says Janse van Rensburg.
ATEC meets an increasing need for technology services for clients within gated residential communities, as well as commercial clients including business parks, hotels, corporate offices and mines.
The company is experienced in the delivery of various key technologies, including: fibre to the home (FTTH), fibre to the business (FTTB) telecommunication networks, managed security networks, IP-based video surveillance systems, integrated access control systems and telecommunications billing systems, among others.
Visitor management systems continue to attract a great deal of attention, according to ATEC. The company says hardware costs have decreased over the last few years and are fuelling demand for feature-rich, pre-clearance and integration-wise infrastructure.
Access control is a facet of business management in South Africa that often makes it onto the list of top priorities for decision-makers.
According to Janse van Rensburg, the industry is now focused on aligning systems with HR and ensuring that all staff are empowered to do their jobs effectively and to use the technology to reinforce overall protection.
"There are more and more security service providers and companies being established in the local market. They require solutions that not only help to ensure that employees are doing their jobs, but also that they can be alerted to any issue or problem ahead of time. The value proposition we offer is the technology, but also the required training. Technical support, maintenance and ongoing training is as important as the technology itself," he adds.
As far as ATEC is concerned, the minute biometrics is involved, there is accountability - this is the foundation of advanced, technology-centric visitor access control.
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